Example Theses
Introducing Qualitative Research in Pyschology
Introduction
Here you will be able to access four high-quality qualitative research theses. All of them were produced by students on the Professional Doctorate (DPsych) in Counselling Psychology programme at City, University of London. Students on this programme submit a portfolio of work containing a research thesis as well as a clinical case study and a publishable paper. Here we only present the research theses; however, you may see references to the rest of the portfolio in the contents pages as well as the prefaces at the beginning of the theses. Please ignore these. In what follows, we provide a brief introduction to each of the four research theses and the reasons for their inclusion on this website.
Helena Curran - ‘Nobody Told Me’: A Foucauldian Discourse Analysis on the construction of childbirth by postnatal women
This thesis demonstrates how Foucauldian Discourse Analysis (FDA) can be used to generate original and important insights into how a common experience (here, child-birth) is discursively constructed to produce a particular version of the experience for those who undergo it (here, the birthing woman). Chapter 1 of the thesis includes a genealogical approach to the literature, tracing the ways in which dominant discourses constructing birth have developed over time to shape the present practice and possibilities for childbirth in the UK. The research then goes on to examine how a group of post-natal women employ discourse to talk about their experience of child-birth. As such, this research demonstrates how a Foucauldian lens can be applied to make sense of accounts of experience, historically and socially, and to shed light on the production of particular subjectivities. In line with other FDA studies, this research is underpinned by a set of wider emancipatory aims in that it seeks to identity alternative, potentially more empowering, constructions of child-birth and so to contribute to positive social change. Researcher reflexivity is an important component of this study and is skilfully incorporated in the write-up.
Title: ‘Nobody Told Me’: A Foucauldian Discourse Analysis on the construction of childbirth by postnatal women
Research Question: How do post-natal women construct their experiences of child-birth and what might this mean for postnatal women’s subjective experience in relation to birth ?
Abstract:
This study has sought to problematise a lack of woman-oriented, female-subjective discourse constituting birth within social discourse. It endeavoured to map out how postnatal women in the UK draw upon available discourses to construct their experience of birth with each other, with a view to further understanding how this might shape, or indeed limit, the way women are able to subjectively experience birth. A social constructionist epistemology and a critical realist ontology underpinned the work, and a Foucauldian discourse analytic approach was considered an appropriate methodology with which to respond to the research aims. Three focus groups, each comprising four postnatal women, were held to generate talk about their childbirth experiences. What emerged from the analysis was that, in the absence of a complex discourse which constitutes birth fully as a physiological, emotional and psychological process in which the birthing woman is positioned centrally as a subject, women drew upon a range of different discourses (medical, natural, trauma, business), which positioned them multiply, in order to attempt to construct and gain subjective access to different fragmented, aspects of the birth experience. The dynamic ways women sought to position themselves will be considered. By exploring what could, and could not, be gained, experienced and said from these different positions, the potential for an alternative discourse on birth, one which might embrace the power, liminality and complexity of birth and in which the birthing woman is more actively made subject, rather than subjected, will be discussed.
Charlotte Flothmann - A Participatory Investigation exploring the Psychological Needs and Sources of Resilience of Asylum Seekers in the UK
This thesis provides an excellent illustration of research which is motivated by the researcher’s commitment to produce practical, contextually relevant knowledge and to disseminate this knowledge. The choice of action research in conjunction with thematic analysis allowed the researcher to involve participants (who, in line with the chosen methodological approach, will be referred to as co-researchers in this thesis) in data collection and analysis, enabling them to contribute to socially transformative research that was pertinent to them, in a series of learning cycles. As such, this thesis also provides a very helpful illustration of the role of reflexivity in qualitative research in that the researcher reflects on her personal motivation for conducting the research, owning her stance in relation to the research topic (asylum seekers’ experiences) and in relation to social justice more generally. Her reflections are underpinned by clear and coherent arguments which ground the research theoretically and epistemologically.
Title: A Participatory Investigation exploring the Psychological Needs and Sources of Resilience of Asylum Seekers in the UK
Research Question: How do individuals experience seeking asylum in Bristol, and what are their views of psychological needs and resilience as part of this experience?
Abstract:
The purpose of this research is to share research findings on the lived experiences of asylum seekers in Bristol (UK), with a particular focus on psychological needs and sources of resilience. Action research was employed with thematic analysis used to interpret data of semi-structured interviews. Research was conducted in three phases involving nine coresearchers. Four themes resulted from the analysis of data: Sense of Injustice, Experiences of Loss, Living in Fear and Finding Strength in Connection. Aspects of the asylum system were perceived by co-researchers as unfair, contributing to existing losses and promoting fear. Strength was found through engaging with communities and religious practices. The findings highlight challenges which are faced by asylum seekers after migrating to the UK and indicate how these do not allow for psychological needs to be met, undermining resilience. They suggest that asylum seekers feel misrepresented and misunderstood within the public realm. It is argued that by creating opportunities for the experiences and knowledge of asylum seekers to be shared, the current asylum legislation is shown to be unjustifiable, and social justice questions are raised. The approach of action research offers original insights into asylum seekers’ lives in Bristol, providing valuable detail about how seeking asylum is experienced in this context. Methodological considerations are offered to inform possible future research.
Leanne Meleagrou-Hitchens - Men’s Experience of the Transition to First-time Fatherhood during their Partner’s Pregnancy: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
This thesis showcases how Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) can be used to shed light on an experience (in this case, men’s transition to first-time fatherhood) which has not received much research attention despite the fact that it is a life-changing event with implications for significant changes in these men’s sense of identity. A such, the topic is ideally suited for an IPA research design. IPA facilitated an in-depth exploration of how men experience their partner’s pregnancy and the meanings they attach to it and served to illuminate men’s subjective experience of their transition to fatherhood. This IPA study demonstrates how the process of data analysis (through reading, re-reading, coding/note-taking, developing first emergent and then superordinate themes) can give rise to a nuanced, in -depth understanding of the research participants’ lived experience, and to highlight the challenges and opportunities that characterise this transitional phase of their lives. Researcher reflexivity is attended to throughout the thesis, demonstrating how IPA is both interpretative as well as phenomenological.
Title: Men’s Experience of the Transition to First-time Fatherhood during their Partner’s Pregnancy: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
Research Question: How do men experience the transition to first-time fatherhood during their partner’s pregnancy?
Abstract:
Fatherhood is a social construct that is continuously shaped by societal and cultural changes. As a result, fathering responsibilities are (re)conceptualised and (re)configured over time and across generations, which, in turn, affect men’s expectations and experiences of becoming fathers for the first time. Today, the father role is understood to be equally important to a mother’s role in terms of parenting, placing more expectations on a father than ever before. Unfortunately, the transition to fatherhood, particularly during the prenatal period, has been much less focussed upon compared to the transition to motherhood. Consequently, this study is interested in giving voice to expectant fathers so as to provide an in-depth exploration of their experiences during their partner’s pregnancy. Data is collected from seven participants using semi-structured interviews and analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The findings suggest that not only did the prenatal period entail a shifting sense of self but it also included experiencing intense and conflicting psychological and emotional states. Participants often felt that their experiences were overlooked by others, with a lack of support resources available to them. Implications for counselling psychologists, including other healthcare professionals, are discussed in terms of both research and practice. Suggestions for future research are also made.
Andrew White - Mapping men’s journey through psychological crisis and treatment
This thesis constitutes an excellent example of a thorough grounded theory study which culminates in the production of a model (the ‘Humpty Dumpty’ model) that conceptualises the process of interest (here, men’s journey towards, through and beyond psychotherapy). As such, the model constitutes a clear answer to the research question. The research presented here includes an in-depth reflection on the ontological-epistemological orientation of the study and its implications for the version of grounded theory adopted for this study: A subtle realist ontology together with a reflexive approach to traditional grounded theory methodology allowed the researcher to produce a model that approximates social reality whilst acknowledging the impact the researcher’s perspective and a priori knowledge. This thesis also includes very strong sections on researcher reflexivity and the role the researcher’s background and experiences play in shaping the research.
Title: Mapping men’s journey through psychological crisis and treatment
Research Question: How do men move from experiencing psychological distress, towards and through treatment, and on towards relative health?
Abstract:
Men tend to be significantly under-represented in primary care psychological services despite a range of social indicators which suggest that men may experience psychological distress at equivalent rates as women. This study aims to explicate the therapeutic journey undertaken by men to inform service providers how a greater proportion of men may be engaged with primary care psychological services. Adopting a subtle realist ontology, a grounded theory analysis was applied to semi-structured interviews with 30 male participants who had completed a psychological intervention within five years. Participants were recruited via advertisements displayed in a range of waiting rooms and on social media. Analysis of the emergent data allowed for the development of the ’Humpty Dumpty’ model conceptualizing the entire therapeutic journey men undertake. Formative experiences, including family role-models, traditional gender-roles and a lack of awareness of psychological matters, resulted in the pre-therapy coping strategy, ‘just keep going.’ When crises occurred, typically relating to work and relationships, then generic, individual, psychological support was valued, suggesting that existing services are both appropriate and fit for purpose. Although participants reported their experiences to be transformational, they tended not to disclose their experiences, potentially contributing to a pervasive unawareness of psychological issues amongst men. A range of recommendations are extruded from the model, aimed at increasing men’s engagement in primary care psychological services.
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